There is growing concern that the Health and Safety Executive is failing at its job as it struggles with a growing number of workplace deaths.

The HSE has reduced the number of its inspectors by around 25 per cent in five years from 916 to 680. Firms on average face an HSE inspection just once every 14½ years. Meanwhile the number of policy officers the HSE employs has more than doubled from 38 to 87.

Senior MPs are concerned that the HSE last year underspent its budget by £12m and fear an imminent relocation out of London will see it lose valuable experts. Concerns over the HSE come as deaths among UK workers are rising. Last year 77 construction workers died, up from 60 in 2006.

Alan Ritchie of the construction union Ucatt said: 'The shocking failure of the HSE has literally cost the lives of members of my industry. It is imperative that someone gets a hold of this organisation and ensures that funds are spent on front-line inspections. That is what saves lives and prevents accidents.'

Next month Labour MP Keith Hill will introduce a private member's bill aiming to raise what has been described as the derisory level of fines levied on firms guilty of serious breaches.

The HSE would not comment on wide-ranging concerns but referred to comments made recently to MPs by its chief executive, Geoffrey Podger: 'We do not take the view that the rise in the fatalities is related to a fall in inspections, or related to inspector numbers.'